Recently, in my Sunday school class we looked at the vice of worry. Worry can plague our hearts and mind and steal our joy. Corrie Ten Boom said, “'Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength”. Worry does not have the power to change things in the future, but it does have the power to steal today of its strength and joy.
The alternative to worry is realizing that we are deeply loved and valued by God. We have a Heavenly Father who knows every single one of our needs and trusting in Him protects our minds and hearts with His peace. Jesus said in Matthew 6:26, “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to Him than they are?” Jesus’ point is that if God loves and cares for even the most insignificant of His creatures, won’t He surely care for you, His most treasured creation made in His own image? God deeply loves us and values us. He is active in this world, and He is for us, not against us. Trusting in these truths brings great peace and confidence in facing what each day might bring our way.
Some people worry because they feel if they neglect worry, they will be irresponsible. We should be responsible and do what we can do. But once we have done that, we should not allow worry to have its work in our hearts. Mark Twain humorously said, “I’ve lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.” We often produce unfounded tragedy in our lives by allowing worry to have a home in our hearts and minds.
Here is some practical advice we discussed in our class based on Philippians 4:6-7 which says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Practical steps:
- Each morning set aside 10 to 15 minutes.
- Think about all of the things you might be anxious about.
- Write them down in your journal or notebook.
- Ask God for wisdom about what you can do to remedy each of these situations.
- Make a note to yourself to do the things you can do.
- Turn everything else over to God by writing your requests to God, be specific.
- Thank God for all He has done for you.
As you implement these practical steps and dwell on the great worth that you have in God’s eyes, worry will decrease and trust, peace, and joy will increase.